Marking its 50th anniversary this year, a Japanese confectionery company, Kogetsu Co., Ltd., in Fushimi Ward, Kyoto, is focusing on sales of "Senju-Senbei," or a confection sandwiched in waffles. The company launched its own special brand for the first time and enriched its product lines in order to win over people of all ages. A new factory will be built to increase production.

Created in 1963 based on waffles, Senju-Senbei is a confection in which vanilla-flavored sugar cream is sandwiched between cookie-style dough. Accounting for roughly 40 percent sales, it is the company's leading product and its demand as a Kyoto souvenir is increasing.

However, its popularity up to now has been mainly among middle-aged and older adults, so the company has recently launched a new brand named "Tsuzumi-zuki" for women in their 20s to 30s who have a sweet tooth. There are three types in the Senju-Senbei series: "Nami-i" with chocolate-coated dough, bite-sized "Chi-nami" and "Yawa-nami" which combines "Dainagon-azuki," or large azuki-bean paste, and sugar cream with fresh dough in a sticky texture. For the time being, these three new Senju-Senbei will only be available at special events across the country.

In conjunction with the increased production, a new three-story factory has been built in the area south of its headquarters, and it is scheduled to be finished by the end of July. The total floor space is approximately 3,000 square meters, including the shipping and distribution sector on the first floor and the production lines on the second floor. The company will scale up its production capacity to a 10 percent increase over its current annual capacity of 13,000,000 pieces, raising its percentage of gross sales from approximately 40 percent to 50 percent.

(translated by Galileo, Inc.)

Photo= A new version of Senju-Senbei "Yawa-nami" which is being sold for a limited time by Kogetsu Co., Ltd.